Wagon-tongue support.



Patented Apr. 8, |902.

P. A. & J. H. KESSLER.

WAGON TONGUE SUPPORT.

(Application med Aug. 17. i1901.)

(Ilo Model.)

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UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP A. KESSLER AND JOHN H. KESSLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WAGON-TONGUE SUPPORT. Y'

SPEGIFIGATION forming `part of Letters Patent No. 696,978, dated April 8, 1902.

Application filed August 17, 1901. Serial No. 72,438. (No model.)

To all whom, t muy concern.-

Be it known that we,.IHILIP A. KESSLER and JOHN H. KESSLER, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in I/Vagon- Tongue Supports; and we do hereby declare the following'to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to tongue-supports; and it has for its object to provide a device for holding or supporting the tongue yieldably and to provide a construction or support which will permit it to be quickly applied and removed and to permit it to be attached with or without special fixtures.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction or device that will stand the strains to which it is put and which will be simple and cheap of manufacture.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specilcation and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure l is a plan view showing a portion of the running-gear of a wagon with the tongue-support inits operative position. Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the supporting device detached.

Referring now to the drawings, the present device consists of a helical spring 5, with the end convolutions of which are engaged the terminal hooks of rods 6 and 7, which are bent into U shape, and engaged with the webs of which are the bars 8 and 9, each of which is perforated Yat one end to pivotally receive one of the U-shaped bars. The bars S and Qproject with their free ends outwardly of the helical spring, and connected with the bar 8 by means of the link 10 is a hook 11, while vengaged with the free end of the bar 9 is a chain l2, having a terminal hook 13.

In applying this device to atongue the hook 11 is engaged with the king-bolt of the wagon at a point above the reach-bar and the tongue. A plate 15 is disposed upon the ham mer-strap 16, with the wagon-hammer passed through the plate, and this plate has a hook 17 at one end for vengagement with the chain at the forward end of Vthe helical spring, which latter is thus suspended from between the king-bolt and the doubletree, and in practice the chain 12 is engaged with the hook of the plate 15, the hook at the end ofthe chain being brought around and engaged with the chain, and the hook for this purpose has the inner side of the bill disposed eonvergingly with respect to the stem of the" hook, so that the hook may receive one link of the chain and lie between the adjacent links.

When desired, the chain 13 may be taken over the doubletree and down and around under the tongue, the terminal hook being brought up and engaged with the chain or with the hook of plate 15. This construction permits of the device to be readily applied and removed, while the specific construction of the holding-spring and the bars therein insures the sustaining powers ofthe spring and also insures even pull on the spring in whatever position the parts may be.

When desired, the bars S and 9 may be omitted, and the U-shaped rods 6 and 7 may be lengthened to cause their webs to lie exteriorly of the spring with the chains attached thereto instead of to the ends of the bars 8 and 9.

If preferred, one of the bars S and 9 may be omitted, and the U-shaped rod to which it is attached may be elongated to lie with its web beyond the end of the spring.

It will be seen that with this construction the tension of the spring may be adjusted, while at the same time the parts are held more or less rigidly, so that there can be no displacement of the connections between the spring and the fixed members. Furthermore, should the plate upon the hammer-strap be broken the chain may be then engaged over the bolster and then down and under the tongue and then brought over the bolster or axle again and hooked in place.

What is claimed is- As an article of manufacture, a helical Wire spring, a U-shaped bar .at each end of the spring having its extremities bent outwardly into hook form and encircling the end convolutions of the spring and having a short web portion disposed within the end of the spring,

two plates having perforations in their ends, each plate receiving the bight of one of the bars in one of its perforations and said plates being passed in opposite directions through 5 the spring, a chain engaged with the outer end perforation of one plate, a hook having a perforated stem, and an open link engaged with the perforation of the stern of the hook and with the perforation of the outer end of 1o the second plate.

In testimony whereof We hereunto sign our naines in the presence of two subscribing Wit'- nesses.

PHILIP A. KESSLER. JOHN H. KESSLER.

Witnesses to signature of Philip A. Kessler:

C. S. HERoY, L. A. VARTY.

WVitnesses to signature of John H. Kessler:

CHARLES WARE, ROBERT AEX. 

